Migrants Take Over Randall's Island as Shelter Residency Expires and Mayor Vows to Up Security

Photo byJulie RicardonUnsplash

As Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would be examining shelter security in the wake of a fatal stabbing over the weekend, migrants camped outside the increasingly anarchic Randall's Island tent city. They were observed selling everything from burgers to blunts on Monday.

After being expelled from the island shelter for exceeding the city residency limit, the migrants set up camp outside the 2,000-bed facility. It seemed as though they were playing cat and mouse with Parks Department officials, who tore down the encampment on Sunday only to have it reappear the following day.

On Saturday, a 24-year-old man was chased by a group inside an eating area and fatally stabbed with a knife. This incident, along with the open-air peddling, are the most recent illustrations of the tent city's uncontrollable conditions regarding the migrant crisis.

In response to the growing lawlessness, Adams announced that the expansive site and other locations would have metal detectors and security cameras installed by the city.

“We’re doing a complete analysis of the security, beefing up our training, [putting] in place a few mobilization concepts, breaking down our location in a color-coded scheme,” he said at a press briefing Monday. He added, “In addition to the metal detectors, in the police department, and our team, we’re going to utilize visual technology. We’re going to put cameras in many of these sites in locations due to the quick response of a security team that’s there."

According to officials, the city currently spends up to $25,000 every day on security at the shelters it oversees, which house more than 68,000 migrants.

Moises Coronado, 27, the man suspected of the killing at Randall's Island, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday night on accusations of murder and gang assault. He was placed under custody without bond until his next hearing on Friday.

On Monday, Mayor Adams said of the murder, “It’s horrific to have someone come here to pursue the American dream and lose their life."